Top rolls for spinning frames



April 18, 196i 1 M. coTcHETT 2,979,784

TOP ROLLS FOR SPINNING FRAMES Filed April 15, 1957 (D N 1n t0 I: qi

i l0 's F United States PatentO 2,979,784 TOP ROLLS FOR SPINNING FRAMES Louis M. Cotchett, Whitman, Mass., assignor, by mesue assignments, to Machineeraft, Inc., Whitman, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Apr. 15, 1957, Ser. No. 652,766 Claims. (Cl. 19142) The present is an improvement on the top roll of my Patent No. 2,771,640.

This invention relates to top rolls for spinning and roving frames, and has as its object the provision of a novel and improved shell type top roll especially suited for use in frames in which the top rolls are mounted without the use of cap bars, but instead are held in working relation with the bottom rolls by guides which engage solely with the necks between the bosses or roll shells of the top rolls. Such guides also apply the weighting force to the rolls and thus also perform the function of the saddles used heretofore. As in the above patent, the present roll is of the type in which the two bosses of the top roll are mounted on a common live shaft which rotates in unison with the bosses. A sleeve on which the hollow bosses or roll shells are rotatably mounted by means of anti-friction bearings is provided about the shaft for engagement by the guiding and weighting means aforesaid to hold the top roll in its working position. Since the sleeve engaged by the guiding and weighting means remains stationary no lubrication is needed and no wear occurs at the points of such engagement, and the bearing surfaces are wholly within and shielded by the roll shells.

An important advantage of this type of top roll over the prior types of ball-bearing top rolls is that because the bosses or roll shells are fixed on the ends of the shaft one end of each boss or shell is by nature closed against access of lint, fly, and dirt to the ball bearings and likewise against egress of lubricant from the bearings as well as entry of air to oxidise the lubricant. Hence only one end of each boss or shell is exposed to invasion by lint and needs to be protected by the lint seal which forms an essential adjunct of every commercially useful top roll using anti-friction bearings.

' In my prior patent the bosses have been fixed on the.

ends of the shaft by staking through a radial hole in each b oss, toraise a rim of the shaft metal into such hole Y and thus key the boss'to the shaft. Alternatively, the bosses have been screwed tightly onto the threaded ends o'f -the shaft, as in my Patent No. 2,937,414. In the first of such constructions, the bearing tension is set by hand before the staking operation; in the second it is determined by the accuracy with which the parts are formed in machining. In either case there is no simple and easy way of readjusting the bearings to correct an initial incorrect adjustment of the bearings or to take up slac therein after prolonged use and resulting wear.

Hence, a leading object of the present invention is to provide for such adjustment of the bearing tension in a live-axle ball bearing top roll, and further to make such adjustment automatic.

To this end, the roll shells forming the bosses are mounted on the axle in operatively fixed but axially slidable relation, and are yieldingly urged in the direction to take up slack in the angular-contact ball bearings by constantly acting resilient means compressed between the end-caps and the ends of the bosses adjacent thereto. Thus verrors in machining or assembling are corrected, and any eventual wear in the bearings is compensated for.

gOther aims of the invention are to simplify the'construction and 'assemblyv of the top' roll withrattendant l 2,979,784 Patented Apr. 18, 1961 carrying capacity of its anti-friction bearings with resulting longer useful life, as well as to maintain precise coaxial relation of the bosses to the axle and to each other so as to prevent any tilting of the bosses as they rotate.

The manner of attainment of these and other features of improvement is as set forth hereinafter.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is Ashown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved roll.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The present top roll is especially suited for use as the apron roll in my improved apron guide set forth in my Patent No. 2,943,361.

The novel roll comprises an axle 1 of commercial cold rolled steel round stock having at each end a reduced and threaded extremity 3 and an adjacent radial shoulder 5. Surrounding the axle 1 is a stiff steel sleeve 7 having an internal diameter materially larger than the diameter of axle 1, and slightly less in length than the latter. Each end portion 9 of this sleeve is reduced in outside diameter and provided with circumferential grooves 11 at spaced points in its length to form the inner races or cones for the balls 13 of the ball bearings. Bearing balls 13 are mounted in cages 15 as customary for unit handling.

The two bosses or roll shells 17 are knurled exteriorly and each has a portion 19 of large internal diameter 'closely fitting over the balls 13 positioned in the grooves 11, and a short small diameter passage 21 fitting closely but slidably on the cylindrical outer surface of an end cap 23 internally threaded and screwed onto the end portion 3 of the axle 1 to seat tightly against shoulder 5. The outer set of balls 13 runs in the ball race 25 formed by the junction of the cylindrical interior wall of large diameter portion 19 with the transition surface 27 running to the small diameter passage 21. The ball race 25 may be either curved to the radius of the balls 13, as shown, or 'made angular by forming the surface 27 either as a straight-taper or radial, as may be preferred. Thus the outer set of balls 13 form an angular-contact ball bearing capable of taking both the radial load of modern heavy roll-weighting practice, and the very material end-thrust resulting therefrom when the top rolls digress frtlim exact parallel relation to their opposing bottom ro ls.

The inner set of balls 13 holds the inward portion of the boss or roll shell 17 in concentric relation to the sleeve 7 under radial loads, shares the radial load, cooperates with the outer set to hold the bosses in coaxial relation to each other, and prevents any tilting of the boss about the outer ball set which might be permitted by the free fit at passage 21.

Each boss 17 is held in working position by one or more resilient annular members or washers 29 surrounding the shank of end cap 23 and confined between the flange 31 of its head and the radially extending bottom 33 of a counterbore 35 formed in the outer end of the boss for the reception of such washers. These washers connect the bosses to the axle by frictional engagement and cause these parts to rotate in unison when the bosses are revolved. Preferably these washers 29 are made of neoprene or other oil-resistant rubber compound, though they may be made of felt if desired. They are put under compression when the end caps 23 are screwed down tight against shoulders 5. Thus they react against the surface 33 of the counterbore to slide the boss inward along the surface Yof the end cap 23 which forms in effect a continuation of the axle 1, until the outer set of =balls saving in cost of production, and to increase the weight- 13 is seatedin ball race 25 with the desired bearing tenbearing of each boss is automatically adjusted intheact' of assembling the roll and thereafter remain self-adjusting lto compensate for wear of this ball bearing. This is because the resilient washers continuously urge the vbosses inwardly along shaft 1 and its continuation formed by the shanks of the end caps and over thesleeve-7. Y

The bore of each boss or roll shell 17 is completely closed at its outer end by the head of the end cap 23` and the elastic washers 29 against entry of lint and y and escape of lubricant from the ball bearings.

Sealing of the other end of the boss against-entry of lint and other foreign matter is necessary to prevent fouling the bearings, lest the uniform rotation of the bosses be checkedV with resulting uneven drafting of the strand. This is accomplished by a lint seal 37 in the form of a collar 39 seated in a groove 41 formed in the full-diameter part of sleeve 7 just inward of the reduced portion 9 thereof. This collar is made of nylon or other suitable resilient synthetic plastic material, and has a concave or mushroom shaped flange 43 which tapers in thickness toward its rim. yIts diameter across the rim initially slightly exceeds that of the large diameter portion 19 of the interior of the boss. Thus when the bosses are installed on the sleeve 7 the flange 43V remains continuously in wiping contact with the rotating bosses just inside the mouth of the portion 19. It thereby blocks the access of lint and other matter, and also serves to prevent-the escape of lubricant from within the bosses.

Each end cap 23 is provided with means for screwing it onto the ends of the axle, and for easily unscrewing it to disassemble the roll for cleaning or repair. This com prises an axial bore 45 provided with radial slots 47 for engagement by a screw driver.

Each boss has its outer end beveled at 49 for engagement by the centers of a buing machine used for trueing the cots adhesively applied to the bosses, when cots are used on the roll.

The shallow grooves 51 in sleeve 7 are engaged by the saddle element to hold the top roll against endwise shift of its position in the frame.

It is to be noted that the end caps are recessedV into the bosses flush with the ends of the latter. Thus there is nothing projecting beyond the boss ends to catch the yarn and impede its insertion between the top and bottom rolls of apairfas the spinner pieces up a broken end of yarn by entering it obliquely beneath and behind the boss, in thesimpliied manner of side-piccing which forms a main feature of the capbar-less spinning frame. Also, the bevel 49 sheds any yarn which might encounter it in performing this operation.

The use of end caps with female threads screwed onto the axle ends facilitates the making of these parts by automatic screw machines. It is easier and cheaper to bore and tap the end caps than to do this to the axle ends to admit retaining screws.

While vI haver illustrated and described a certain form in which the invention may be embodied, Iam `aware that many modifications may be made therein by any person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular form shown, or to the details of construction thereof, but

What I do claim is:

1. A'top roll having in combination an axle, lasleeve around the axle, bosses operatively fixed but axially slidable with respect to the axle, two sets of ball bearings spaced apart from each other lengthwise of eachY boss and located between eachboss and the sleeve supporting'the bosses rotatably and holding them in coaxial relation to eachother, and means urging the bosses inwardly o'fthe faxle.

'around the axle, bosses Vaxially slidable along theaxle,

two spaced sets of ball bearingsbetween each of the bosses and the sleeve supporting the bosses rotatably and holding them in coaxial relation to each other, and means frictionally'engaging the bosses causing thesejparts and the axle to rotatein unison.

3. The combination according to claim v2 inrwhich the said means yieldingly urge the bosses inwardly of the axle.

4. A top roll having in combination Yan axle, a sleeve `around the axle, bosses axially slidable with respect to the axle, angular contact ball .bearings between and engaging with the bosses and the sleeve, radial con-tact ball bearings located between the bosses and Ythe 'sleevel'inwardly of the angular contact'ball bearings'and" preventing tilting of the bosses, and means yieldingly urging. the bosses axially of theaxle.

5. A top roll having incombination.an`axle,fasleeve around the axle, bosses, angular contact ball'bearingsand radial contact ball bearings between and lengaging with the bosses the sleeve, and end caps on the axle, "and neoprene Yrings pressed against the bosses by theeiid caps arid establishing the bearing tension of thelball bearings.

6. A top roll having in combination an axle, a sleeve around the axle, bosses, angularV contact ball bearings and radial contact ball bearings between vand engaging with the bosses and the sleeve, end caps on the axle, and yresilient frictional means between the end caps and the bosses urging the latter axially of the sleeveancl causing theV bosses and axle to turn in unison.

7. A top roll having in combination an axle, a sleev about the axle, end caps on the axle having anges, bosses each having a passage fitting slidably on -an end cap inwardly of its ange and a portion of larger internaldiameter extending over the sleeve, angular contactfball bearings and radial contact ball bearings between the bosses and the sleeve holding the bosses in coaxial relation, and resilient washers between the anges of'thev end caps and the surfaces of the bosses adjacent the said passages, such washers being put under compression bythe flanges and reacting against the bosses to establish the bearingA tension of the angular contact ball bearings.

8. A top roll having incombination, bosses, a sleeve, ball bearings engaging the sleeve and each boss at two points in its length and supporting the bosses rotatably in coaxial relation, and means including an axle vand removable flanged terminal members extending throughk the sleeve and holding the bosses on the end` portions of the sleeve.

9. The combination according to vclaim 8 in whic angular contact ball bearings .tix therlimit of movement of the bosses inwardly along the sleeve, and resilientelements in connection with the means extending through the sleeve urge the bosses inwardly to adjust the tension of such bearings.

10. A top roll having in combination an axle having screw threaded ends, a sleeve surrounding the axle, bosses, two sets of ball bearings between feach of the bosses and the sleeve holding the bosses in coaxial`relation, end caps screwed onto the endsof the axle .as .far asthe screw threads will permit, and resilient non-metallic annular members interposed between the nend caps and the bosses and put under compression by the end oaps and establishing the bearing tension of the ball bearings.

ReferencesCited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 949,504 Sexton -a. Feb. 15, .1-91() 2,755,515 Cotchett et al. July 24, Y17956 2,771,640 Cotchett Q. NOV. 27, 1956 FOREIGN VPATENT S 182,991 Germany Aug. 2,5, sV

y454,536 Italy Jm 24, i1950 

